1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tire vulcanizing system of a type such that a mold assembly in which tire vulcanization is being carried out is transported. More particularly, it relates to a tire vulcanizing system that is equipped with a central mechanism for operating a bladder.
2. Description of Related Art
In the conventional tire vulcanizing system, a central mechanism, which inserts and removes a bladder into and from a tire when the tire is loaded into and unloaded from a mold, is provided at the lower part In a tire vulcanizer body. The bladder is used during the tire vulcanization by being inserted in the tire.
The tire vulcanizing system of this type has a vulcanizing station at which a plurality of mold assemblies in which a tire is being vulcanized are arranged and vulcanization is continued and a mold opening/closing station at which a tire is loaded and unloaded into and from the mold assembly. The mold assembly is transported between the vulcanizing station and the mold opening/closing station. Also, the central mechanism is divided into an operating section for inserting and removing the bladder and a driving section for driving the operating section. The operating section is incorporated in the central part of the mold assembly, and the driving section is incorporated in the lower part of the mold opening/closing station. This art has already been proposed by the applicant of this invention (Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 7-112440 (No. 1124420/1995)).
However, in the art disclosed in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 7-112440, a lever formed with a claw is used to attach and detach the operating section to and from the driving section, and the operation state of the lever is detected by a sensor. Such an art requires a space for installing the sensor. Further, since a heating/pressurizing medium (warm water, steam, or a mixture of steam and inert gas) supplied into the tire via the bladder at the time of tire vulcanization has a temperature of about 200.degree. C., the operating section of the central mechanism also has a temperature of about 200.degree. C. Therefore, when the lever portion of the driving section advances to the high-temperature operating section each time the tire is loaded and unloaded, the sensor is subjected to high temperatures, so that an expensive sensor having a high heat resistance must be used, which still presents a problem of increased cost.